The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-27
THE LONE STAR OF TEXAS.
me Flag of the Republic-How 1t
was First Made and Used.

~-AS rAoS vi bue h6pODuC-HOw IL
was First Made and Used.
James s. McGahey, of Hampstead, Tex,
Texas veteran, thus writes to the Galveston
Netcs: On or about SeptembeaAJ5, 1885,
Texas was invaded by a Mexic force
under the Mexican General Cos, who took
possession of San Antonio and ordered the
people to surrender their arms, allowing
one gun to every fifth family, and demand
ing at the same time the surrender of five
OF the best and most influential citizens of
Texas, who We're to be taken to the City of
Mexico and there held as hostages, or to be
tried for treason by a drumhead court
martial
AT this time-viz, September IS, 1856
the writer hereof Ia Virginian by BIRTH was
at Capt VIM. SCOTS, San Jacinto, assisting
In the organization of a company. upon the
captains proposition. AT that date there
We're many young men in Texas who could
find no employment and who had notmeans
sufficient to take them away. VIM. Scott
Ia Kentuckian) was wealthy man and pa
triotic to the core. He proposed to equip in
full any one who would volunteer to fight
for the cause of Texas, giving him a good
horse, saddle, bride, gun, Announcements,
provisions and suit of clothes, and making
his house headquarters until they were
ready to march. About thirty men zone of
whom was the writer) took Mr.. Scott at
his word, and completed the organization
by electing the said VIM. Scott captain,
Peter j. Duncan of Alabama first lieutnant
and myself second lieutenant. While max
ing our preparations Capt. Scott one morning
said to me: MACK, have piece of beauti-
full silk, solid blue. If you'll make staff We'll
have flag" He gave me the silk-about
Tour yards--and as went up to the mill to
make a staff l called in to see Mrs. Lynch of
Missouri wife of the man who had ferry
across the San Jacinto) in order to get her
to sew piece of domestic to the silk in such
way that the flag staff would not injure the
silk. Mrs. Lynch did the work nicely, and
when finished 1 took it and went on to the
mill, where | happened to meet Charles
Lance, an Italian, who said he was painter
by trade, and that he had some nice paints
on hand. | told him [ wanted some painting
done on the flag, and he asked me what he
should paint on it. l answered, paint In
the center of it a large five-pointed white.
STAR" When the work was completed and
examined carefully, the Italian observed,
"Well, now, that looks naked; let me paint
something under it. What shall it be? My
reply was: "Put the word independence"
and it was done accordingly. The same
day, while was at work at the staff, the
flag lying stretched out on the work bench
ClOSS ny ME, IIl6Il ITOIl 6dSU6ru texas came
by on their way to San Felipe for the sole
purpose of hearing the news, and hoping to
learn something about the situation of af
fairs. In those days we had no mails, no
railroads, no telegraphs; SO that when one
wanted to hear the news, the only alterna-
tive was to get on a, horse and ride to some
central point, often distant many miles.
Some of these men, as they passed by where
| was at work, stopped for few minutes
admired it. They said: sit is just the
course for Texas to take, /" having reference
to the motto. On their way to San Felipe
they stopped. at Harrisburg, where there
was at that time a company Of volunteer
soldiers. These were told of the flag-the
Lone Star-and the motto They became
angry and said they would shoot any man
who attempted to raise flag with the word
independence on it before independence was
declared by the proper authorities. This
message was brought to me that evening by
a courier. In reply to the message | said
| Tell them to come down tomorrow about
noon and they would see it hoistedn for it
was then the determination of every man in
our company to follow the fortunes of
| Stephen F. Austin, let the consequences be
what they might. But this replySent back
to the people at Harrisburg was sent entire
ly upon my own responsibility: l had
consulted no man, not even Capt. Scott,
indeed | am not sure that he yet knew
what / had put on the flag; but later the
same evening, IN apprising the captain of
the situation, told him OF the message re-
ceived from Harrisburg, and also of my
reply to it. "By blood" said he, "Mack
that was a little rash, but I'll sustain you
in it." Sure enough, the next day about
noon two large yawl-boats, containing eight
armed men each, came sailing down to see
the flag hoisted, or rather to see that it was
not hoisted. They pulled up to the bank
within twenty steps of Mrs. Lynchs house,
but not a man got out of either boat, nor
| was there word spoken by any one Capt.
Scott ordered Lieutenant Duncan to form
his men into line between the boats and the
house. Every man had his gun, and it was
loaded. As passed by the house l set my
gun against it and took my position with
out weapon of anykind. After a few
moments 1 stepped back into the house. took
the flag down from the rack, and returned
to the center of the company, unfurled the
banner, planted the staff with a firm stroke
in the ground on the banks of the San
Jacinto, and the Lone STAR with the magic
word independence, floated proudly on the
breeze. For some minutes not word was
said. Presently the captain of one of the
boats ordered his men to push away from
the bank, and when out a short distance in
the stream the captain stood up, and taking
of his hat, hourlshed 1t around his head,
shouting, "Hurrah for the Lone Starl'
Every man of his crew did likewise; but
the other boat pulled away and departed up
stream without any demonstrations of any
kind whatever. When the boats had passed
out of sight we broke ranks, ate dinner,
babe goodby to friends mounted and
marched westward | do not know the
exact date of this occurrence, but it was,
some time in the latter part of September,
1885. / bore my flag as far as to San Felipe
where, finding it cumbersome, L took it off
the staff, folded it carefully and packed it
in my sack On the evening before the bat
of Conception, two miles below San An
tonio-being then ON General Austin's staff, /
told him of the circumstances connected with
the flag, and that still carried it in my
pack. Among other things, he said: Take
care of tit may be useful"
The next morning just before day the bat
tie began. After daylight-although it was
so foggy that we could hardly tell when
daylight came-when we could manage to
see short distance, in selecting our posi-
tions it so happened that l and Thomas Bell,
"a member of Fannin's company, found
ourselves side by side loading and shooting
as rapidly as twas possible for us to do. l
soon discovered that Bell waAa brave man,
and upon further acquainta i found him
to be a perfect gentleman. 1@Ap the bat